While Denver Public Schools has seen high rates of participation in the district’s school choice system, there are still gaps among who participates and where students request to go, according to a new report published by the nonprofit, A + Denver and written by the Center on Reinventing Public Education.

“We found that across all segments of the city, families are demanding higher-rated schools, but such schools are unevenly distributed,” the report states.

Students who were most likely to fill out a school choice form in the last three years that the report analyzed, were white students who had high performing test scores or were already enrolled in highly-rated schools. Students who are eligible for free or reduced price lunch participated less than affluent students ineligible for the lunch program.

However, students classified as English learners were more likely to participate in the school choice process than native-English speakers. Read more…

A precalculus class at Monarch High School in Louisville last spring (RJ Sangosti, The Denver Post).

What is likely to be a busy legislative session for education issues in Colorado opened Wednesday with an intraparty shot-across-the-bow — an attempt by a newly elected Democratic state senator to overturn a key provision of a five-year-old teacher effectiveness championed by one of his colleagues.

Colorado Springs Sen. Michael Merrifield’s Senate Bill 15-003 would eliminate a requirement that at least 50 percent of an educator’s performance evaluation be tied to student academic growth. Each district decides how to measure that growth.

The Department of Education and the Department of Justice on Wednesday released new guidance to remind school districts about their obligations to students who do not speak English.

During a press call Wednesday morning, officials for the departments cited a booming population of English learners — now almost 5 million students in the U.S. — and with it an increase in the number of complaints about violations to their education. Since 2009, officials said they have received more than 475 complaints, and launched more than 30 investigations.

“Four decades ago, the U.S. Supreme Court held in Lau v. Nichols that all students deserve equal access to a high-quality education regardless of their language background or how well they know English,” said Catherine E. Lhamon, assistant secretary for Civil Rights in a released statement. “Today’s guidance not only reminds us of the court’s ruling, but also provides useful information for schools as they work to ensure equity.”

In Colorado, Denver Public Schools is under a judge’s order that specifies and monitors how the district instructs the population of students who are learning English as their second language. In 2010, Thornton’s Adams 12 Five Star School District reached a settlement agreement with the Department of Justice.

For parents wondering how their kids’ schools stack up, a coalition of nonprofit groups Monday released its fourth annual report card using easy-to-grasp letter grades their children know all too well.

The online tool, Colorado School Grades, relies on academic growth and proficiency data from the Colorado Department of Education and uses a formula developed with the Center for Education Policy Analysis at the School of Public Affairs at the University of Colorado Denver.

Some quick takeaways: Top-ranked schools are scattered throughout the state, strong elementary school options abound in the Denver metro area, the Colorado Springs region has high school down, and the overwhelming majority of top-performing schools have something distinguishing them, either as a charter school, K-8 school, innovation status or some other special trait.

Lobbyist and former state legislator Steve Durham has been chosen to fill a vacancy on the state Board of Education, prevailing over three other candidates after making a case against the Common Core state standards and what he described as federal interference with education.

Durham, 67, will replace fellow Republican Paul Lundeen, the board chairman, who gave up his seat after being elected to the state House of Representatives last month. The state board makeup mirrors the state’s congressional districts, and Durham will represent District 5, which includes Colorado Springs.

Of the parents surveyed in Denver, 50 percent reported having children attending a school that is not their neighborhood school.

“Parents in these cities are taking advantage of choice, but are having wildly different experiences when seeking the right school for their child,” said Robin Lake, the director of the center, in a released statement. Read more…

A look at the University of Denver Campus along Evans (Provided by University of Denver)

The University of Denver topped a list measuring the percentage of undergraduate students studying abroad in 40 doctoral institutions. In 2012-13 school year, 71.7 percent of DU’s undergraduate student body participated in the study abroad program.

The list is part of the 2014 Open Doors report released by the Institute of International Education. DU’s percentage is the highest of the 40 listed institutions, which include Stanford, New York University, Vanderbilt and Southern Methodist.

A University of Denver student finds a creative way to thank her parents for allowing her to travel the world (Provided by University of Denver)

While the University of Denver has the highest percentage, it does not have the most students in a study abroad program. DU conferred 1,136 degrees and had 814 Study Abroad students. Whereas New York University conferred 4,919 degrees and had 2,955 students who participated in a study abroad program.

According to a release, DU offers more than 150 study abroad programs in 55 countries. The United Kingdom was the top destination followed by Spain.

Denise Cope, the university’s Study Abroad director, highlighted the importance of international studies, mentioning the positive effect it can have on students.

“Studying abroad is a critical element to a DU student’s education. Understanding the complexities of the world while taking academic classes abroad is a game-changer,” Cope said. “Research indicates that intercultural development, language learning, and attitudinal and behavioral changes occur as a result of study abroad.”

A student poses for a photo while studying abroad (Provided by University of Denver)

The Institute of International Education strives to advance international education and access to education around the globe. Established in 1919, the institute offers more than 200 programs that affect 20,000 people a year.

The data the institute collected shows that the number of American students studying abroad has risen sharply. In the 1997-98 school year, 114,000 American students were studying abroad; there were a record 289,000 in 2012-13.

Colorado School of Mines President M. W. Scoggins announced his intent to retire in 2015 on Thursday. As School of Mines’ 16th president, Scoggins first took the job in June 2006.

Scoggins has a doctorate in petroleum engineering from the University of Tulsa. In 2004, Scoggins retired as a senior executive for Mobil and ExxonMobil after 34 years in the oil and gas industry. Two years later, he became president of Colorado School of Mines, beginning his nine-year tenure with the university.

“The Board of Trustees would like to thank Dr. Scoggins for his extraordinary service to Mines,” Board Chairman Jim Spaanstra said in a release. “Through his leadership, Mines reached remarkable levels of excellence, grew its global reputation and strengthened its financial health despite periods of economic turbulence.”

Bill Scoggins, Mines President (Provided By Colorado School of Mines)

The Mines board of trustees intend to announce plans to search for a successor in the coming days. Scoggins will maintain his position until a new president is available.

Colorado Classroom provides ground-level reporting on what’s going on in the state’s public schools and on college campuses, looking at people, places, issues, trends and innovative approaches to education.